Chapter 30
Chapter thirty
Kate
A few hours later, the house looks less like a moving truck exploded inside it. Broken down boxes are piled by the door, throw pillows are stacked by the couch, and one very proud little girl is wearing a glittery headband that reads Official Helper.
Evie twirls through the living room, Matilda tucked under one arm, trailing stickers in her wake. “Coach Wells is here now!”
“Easy there, bug,” Cam says, crouching to scoop her up mid-spin. She squeals, wrapping an arm around his neck, curls brushing his jaw.
I lean against the doorway, watching them. My chest tightens in that familiar, dangerous way that it usually does when I watch him with her.
The kitchen still smells faintly like pizza and cardboard. Brynn’s laughter echoes in my head, along with Kinsey’s wink and her call me if he drives you nuts as she followed them out the door.
Now it’s just us.
Cam sets Evie down, and she bolts toward her art supplies. “You okay?” he asks.
I nod, even though my throat feels thick. “Yeah. Just…taking it in.”
He glances around the room, taking in the mess without judgment. “It’s a lot of boxes.”
“It’s a lot of everything,” I admit. “Good everything. But still.”
He steps closer and wraps an arm around my waist. I lean into him before I can stop myself.
“Feels right,” he says quietly, chin resting at the top of my head.
“Yeah,” I whisper. “It does.”
After Evie’s tucked in, I find Cam in the kitchen, barefoot, washing dishes like it’s second nature. His sleeves are pushed up as he rinses a glass, and he looks…comfortable.
When he catches me watching, a slow grin spreads across his face. “What?”
“Nothing,” I say, stepping closer. “Just noticing you don’t look out of place.”
He tilts his head, eyes warm. “Guess I’m good at adapting.”
“Apparently.”
I slide my arms around his waist, resting my cheek against his chest. He reaches for a towel and dries his hands, then his arms wrap around me.
“This place feels different tonight,” I say quietly.
“Yeah?” he agrees. “Hopefully different in a good way.”
I nod against him. I just stand there a moment longer, listening to his breathing, committing the sound to memory before I let myself overthink it.
Eventually, I pull back. “We should probably get some sleep.”
He nods. “Yeah, I have to be up early for summer camp.”
“I have opening shift at the library.”
We finish up in silence, moving around each other, placing the last of the dishes back in the cabinets and starting the dishwasher. Cam switches off the kitchen light and glances down the hallway.
“Hey,” he says, low, “before we turn in.”
I stop, turning back toward him.
“We didn’t really talk about where I should sleep,” he continues, hands sliding into his pockets. “I don’t want to assume anything. And I don’t want it to be weird for Evie, either.”
A laugh slips from my lips as it hits me. “Wow, we got married and put this grand plan together and I didn’t even think about that.”
He smiles. “We were bound to miss something along the way. Still, I want you to be comfortable.” His gaze stays steady on mine. “I can take the guest room.”
“You can,” I say. “If that’s what you want.”
His mouth curves slightly. “This isn’t about what I want, it’s about what’s best for the two of you.”
“It’s really sweet of you to offer to take the guest room, but you can sleep in my room. If you want to.”
“Okay,” he says. “Then if it’s all right, I would much rather sleep next to you.”
We go through our nighttime routines, taking turns in the bathroom. I change into an oversized T-shirt and slide under the covers, the house settling into nighttime sounds around me as Cam plugs in his phone and lies down next to me.
He stays where he is, leaving room until I shift closer on my own. His arm comes around me, and my eyes drift closed.
“Night, Wells.”
“Night, Katie.”